12
1 Ngakho-ke, njengoba sihanqwe lixuku elikhulu kangaka labafakazi, kasikulahleni konke okusivimbelayo kanye lesono esisibopha lula njalo kasigijimeni ngokubekezela kulo umjaho ophawulelwe thina. 2 Kasikhangeleni kuJesu, uMqalisi loMphelelisi wokukholwa kwethu, okwathi ngentokozo eyayibekwe phambi kwakhe wabekezelela isiphambano, engananzi ihlazo laso, wahlala phansi esandleni sokunene sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu. 3 Cabangani ngaye owabekezelela ukuphikiswa okungaka ngabantu abayizoni ukuze lingabi buthakathaka lilahle ithemba.
UNkulunkulu Ulaya Abantwana Bakhe
4 Ekulweni kwenu lesono, kalimelananga laso kwaze kwaba sebangeni lokuchitha igazi lenu. 5 Njalo selilikhohliwe lelizwi lokulikhuthaza elikhuluma kini njengamadodana elithi:
“Ndodana yami, ungeyisi ukulaya kweNkosi.
Njalo ungalahli ithemba lapho ikukhuza,
6 ngoba uThixo ulaya labo abathandayo,
abuye ajezise bonke abamukela njengendodana.”*
7 Bekezelelani ukuhlupheka njengokulaywa; uNkulunkulu uliphatha njengabantwana bakhe. Kambe yibaphi abantwana abangalaywa nguyise na? 8 Nxa lingalaywa (umuntu wonke uyalaywa), liyabe lingabantwana abazalwa ngokungekho emthethweni njalo abangasiwo amadodana lamadodakazi uqobo. 9 Phezu kwalokho, sonke sake saba labobaba abasilayayo njalo sabahlonipha ngenxa yalokho. Pho kufanele sizehlise kakhulu okungakanani kuBaba wemimoya yethu njalo siphile! 10 Obaba basilaya okwesikhatshana ngababekubona kukuhle, kodwa uNkulunkulu usilaya ukuba sisizakale, ukuba sihlanganyele ebungcweleni bakhe. 11 Akukho kulaywa okukhanya kukuhle ngalesosikhathi, kodwa kubuhlungu. Kodwa muva, kuletha isivuno sokulunga lokuthula kulabo abafundiswa yikho.
12 Ngakho-ke, qinisani izingalo zenu ezibuthakathaka lamadolo enu axegayo. 13 “Lungiselani inyawo zenu izindlela ezibekekileyo,”† ukuze abaqhulayo bangagogeki, kodwa basiliswe.
Isixwayiso Ngokwala UNkulunkulu
14 Zamani kakhulu ukuhlalisana ngokuthula labantu bonke lokuba ngcwele; kungekho bungcwele kakho ozayibona iNkosi. 15 Bonani ukuthi kakho oswela umusa kaNkulunkulu kanye lokuthi akulampande ebabayo ekhulayo ukuba idale uhlupho ingcolise abanengi. 16 Bonani ukuthi kakho oyisifebe, loba ongakhonzi uNkulunkulu njengo-Esawu okwathi ngenxa yokudla kunye wathengisa amalungelo elifa lakhe okuba lizibulo. 17 Muva, njengoba lisazi, lapho esefuna ukuzuza isibusiso lesi waliwa. Wayengeke enze kube lokuguquka kwengqondo, lanxa wafuna isibusiso leso ngezinyembezi.
Intaba Yokwesaba Lentokozo
18 Kalizanga entabeni engathintwayo njalo ebhebha umlilo; ebumnyameni lasekufiphaleni lesiphepho; 19 ekukhaleni kwecilongo loba ilizwi elinjalo elikhulumayo, okwenza labo abalizwayo bacela ukuba kungabi lelizwi elikhulunywa kubo futhi, 20 ngoba babengeke bakumele ukulaywa okwakusithi: “Lenyamazana ingathinta intaba, kumele itshaywe ngamatshe.”‡ 21 Okwabonwayo kwakusesabeka kakhulu uMosi waze wathi, “Ngiyathuthumela ngenxa yokwesaba.”§
22 Kodwa lina lize eNtabeni iZiyoni, iJerusalema lasezulwini, umuzi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo. Lize kuzinkulungwane lezinkulungwane zezingilosi ezihlangane ngentokozo 23 ebandleni lezibulo, ezimabizo azo alotshiwe ezulwini. Lize kuNkulunkulu, umahluleli wabantu bonke, emimoyeni yabantu abalungileyo abaphelelisiweyo, 24 kuJesu umeli wesivumelwano esitsha, lasegazini elicheliweyo elikhuluma ilizwi elihle kulegazi lika-Abheli.
25 Bonani ukuthi kalimenqabeli lowo okhulumayo. Nxa bengaphephanga lapho benqabela lowo owabaxwayisa emhlabeni, koba kuncane kangakanani kithi, nxa sidela lowo osixwayisa ezulwini na? 26 Ngalesosikhathi ilizwi lakhe lanyikinya umhlaba, kodwa khathesi usethembisile wathi: “Ngizaphinda njalo futhi nginyikinye, hatshi umhlaba kuphela, kodwa lamazulu futhi.”* 27 Amazwi la “njalo futhi” atsho ukususwa kwalokho okunganyikinyiswa, okuyikuthi izinto ezadalwayo, ukuze kuthi lokho okungeke kunyikinyiswe kusale.
28 Ngakho-ke, njengoba sisamukela umbuso ongeke unyikinywe, kasibongeni njalo sikhonze uNkulunkulu ngokufaneleyo ngenhlonipho langokwesaba, 29 ngoba “uNkulunkulu wethu ungumlilo oqothulayo.”†
* 12:6 Izaga 3.11-12 † 12:13 Izaga 4.26 ‡ 12:20 U-Eksodasi 19.12-13 § 12:21 UDutheronomi 9.19 * 12:26 UHagayi 2.6 † 12:29 UDutheronomi 4.24